So What?

My oldest, Benjamin, has been blessed to have several great coaches throughout his young life. Ben is the kind of player who, in whatever sport he is playing, will run through a wall for a coach who has really inspired him to be the best version of himself. Now, baseball is DEFINITELY Ben’s sport. One particular young baseball coach really means a lot to him. He had a unique way of connecting with the kids and the kids really enjoyed and respected him. This coach would encourage the kids and try to keep their heads up. At times, this would prove really difficult because baseball is a sport where you fail more often than you succeed. Often, we would watch the batter swing and miss the ball coming to the plate. The player would look at the young coach standing in the coach’s box at third base with a very defeated or very embarrassed or very “help me” kind of look. But Ben’s coach? He would shrug his shoulders, grin, and say, “So what?” Was this a cold response? No, it wasn’t. These kids knew exactly what he was trying to say. He was telling them that they had still had more strikes . . . they hadn’t struck out. He might suggest a change to their stance or their position in the box. He might tell them to watch the ball all the way in or to be more patient and wait a split second longer to swing. One thing was CERTAIN. He always expected them to put that strike behind them, step back up to the plate and swing away.

Why did this come to mind this week? Well, for starters, we are REALLY missing baseball! But, beyond that, let’s just say that for a while I have been in a stall/plateau to end all. I have only been losing at a rate of a half a pound to a pound a week. It has been frustrating and mostly because I have been doing the right things. The other morning, as I was in the shower, I began thinking. The shower is a place where, second only to my walks, I do my best thinking. I was bemoaning the fact that about 10 days earlier the scale reflected an almost two pound gain for the first time since I started my new lifestyle and path. I was disheartened because I didn’t do anything “bad” and yet this had happened. My mind was certainly negative this particular morning and that isn’t usually how I operate. It just isn’t. But THIS morning, I was thinking about my kids. Having to do distance learning/homeschool; missing their friends; missing out on school functions; baseball; prom. I was worrying about my job . . . especially our patients and then our staff who are without income during our closure due to the shutdown of dentistry across the nation. I was stressing out about my husband stressing out about MY stressing out about all of the above. Then it hit me. SO WHAT? I swear I heard an actual sound . . . I heard the baseball “pop” in the catcher’s mitt after my bat cleanly missed it. Strike one: my stall/plateau. Strike two: my stress. 

I have not been focusing on all the good there is in life right now. With what’s going on in the world at the moment, it’s little wonder why.  But, this needs to change for me. I refuse to let myself spend too much time in the “negative thinking” realm. It is not who I am, primarily, and it’s not who God wants me to be. How do I do that? How do I avoid that dreaded third strike? Well, it’s going to take going to one, or possibly all, of those things in Ben’s young coach’s arsenal that he would use to encourage and teach that baseball team.

First, I gotta change my stance. How well prepared am I to face the things that come my way? Am I standing in an offensive or defensive position? Am I stiff and scared at the plate or am I relaxed and open? I need to have my mind prepared everyday to see all the different pitches the enemy is going to throw my way. I must stand in that box, toe the line, bat in hand, with the confidence that I KNOW, with God’s help, I can handle all of it. I must recognize and know that there are things in this world meant to derail me. In life and in weight loss. And those two things go hand in hand when you are a stress/emotionally driven eater like I am. I also have to recognize that ALL the problems in the world are NOT necessarily MY problems! This is hard for me! Remember Moses in the Bible? After he had led the people out of Egypt, he stepped up and sat as judge over them, to help them settle disputes and help them seek God’s will. Jethro, his father-in-law, was quick to point out that while what he was doing was noble, it was not the best approach. He was wearing himself out and he needed to share the load. He goes on to offer advice on how to do that and then tells Moses that if he would find good men to help serve as judges with him, reserving the most difficult cases for himself, he would be able to stand the strain. This came to mind this week because I realized, AGAIN, I can’t do this alone, nor is it healthful to try.

Second, I need to keep my eye on the ball. I gotta keep the main thing(s) the main thing(s). Again, going to the Bible because it is my TRUE source of encouragement and strength over the things we are dealing with in the world and in our lives right now. Philippians 4:8 tells us, “ . . . whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” I have to keep my eye on that ball and know what to do with it. If it isn’t something that is good and right, I am going to let it sail right by me. But, if that ball looks like everything it should be, I am going to hit it and run as fast as I can. There are plenty of things in life right now that we can be truly thankful for. I am home with my kids in a way I haven’t been since I started working outside the home almost 12 years ago. And I am LOVING it. I am especially feeling blessed because I am spending more time with them in a time when I feel like they truly need me . . . even if they don’t actually SAY they need me. We are healthy and alive and vibrant. There are so many misfortunes in this world. So much sickness, sadness and even death right now. Things could always be worse.

Third, I need to wait a split second longer to swing . . . patience. I need patience. Now, I have already written that patience is far from my strong suit. But I need to recognize that my body is changing and the “plus” or “minus” two pound changes in my weight are normal and NOT let myself freak out about it. (By the way, I have lost three pounds since gaining the two) I know that my body is still shrinking and the time has come to not pay as much attention to the number on the scale as the number on the size of my clothing and how I feel day in and day out. One more Bible verse, Galatians 6:9 is the perfect one for this: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart.” I need to trust the process and be patient with the process and be happy with how far I HAVE come. In all aspects of my life. Physical, emotional, spiritual. All aspects.

My friends, the world is full of crazy and it is full of bad. Especially right now. But it is also full of good. Lots and lots of good. Sometimes, we have to take time out to really search for the good to see it. Sometimes, it’s right in front of us. But we have another assurance that is definitely worth remembering right now. Romans 8:28 says,  “. . . that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Does that mean that thinking positively and doing good and seeing good come easy? No. It doesn’t. But it does mean that I can be ready to receive all this world will throw my way because I know that while it may not be good in its initial delivery to me, God will turn it around and use it for my good and His glory. I just have to have the faith that He loves me enough to make this promise true for even me. For me, focusing my energies on prayer, Bible study and meditation help me overcome the darkness of the times we are living in. We can’t lose hope. So long as we live and breathe it is never too late to take hold of the Hope offered by God. Until that third strike, we keep swinging . . . making adjustments all the while.

#loveyourjourney #youreworthit #bettermewithNewYouCBD #Endo30 #itsuptoyou